Police Confiscate 8 Tons of Marijuana

It's considered one of the largest drug busts in Chicago’s history, McCarthy said

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Officers seized about eight tons, or 16,000 pounds, of cannabis Tuesday night when they intercepted a shipment headed for Chicago.

Police and federal DEA agents made what's believed to be one of the largest pot busts in Chicago's history this week, officials announced Thursday.

Officers seized about eight tons of cannabis Tuesday night when they intercepted a shipment headed for Chicago.

"A seizure of this magnitude is an important tool in stopping the violence in our communities," said Supt. Garry McCarthy. "It disrupts the operations of those trafficking in narcotics and the impact is felt from the level of street gangs all the way up to the cartel level."

McCarthy said authorities believe the shipment originated in Mexico. Officers made the bust near a warehouse "in the greater Chicago metropolitan area" around 5 p.m.

The confiscation came one day before the City Council approved a new policy that gives police the option of issuing tickets instead of arrests for possession of 15 grams of marijuana or less.